Schools in Richmond County, Columbia

[kyahuag]

Thanks for all your inputs. All of you are more or less consistent in your opinion, helping me once again to zoom into Shandon area. How would you compare Dreher to Spring Valley High school?

[sandlapper]

For relative "liberalist" in the area I would consider north east richland county as well. This area is not far from ft. jackson so it has its fair share of out of towners as well.

Oh yeah and its Richland County!

[Carolina_1690]

Both are good schools. Spring Valley probably has more overcrowding due to the growth in Northeast Richland County. SVHS is probably a little better as a whole. Its hard to judge Dreher though, because its one of those old schools in a well to do neighborhood that all of the parents from the rich neighborhoods send their kids to. But a lot of poor kids go there too, so you have a more diverse setting with the student body.

Check out the SC School report cards on Dreher and Spring Valley (both in PDF).

The state ranks Dreher as "GOOD" and Spring Valley as "Excellent." Keep in mind what I said before though. The rich parents aren't going to let their kids have a bad education.

[kyahuag]

Thanks for all your EXCELLENT inputs. I have been researching schools, homes and neighborhoods online all weekend, and am exhausted. I am torn now between Richland NE and Shandon. Although one of us will work at USC downtown and one will commute to USC Sumter, we were at first leaning towards Richland NE (specifically Windsor Lake area) for the Spring Valley High school for the children. I love the Shandon neighborhood (have driven around it a month ago) and old homes. But now, we are confused between Shandon and the above once again due to commuting distance vs children's education.

[anonymous]

I may have misunderstood you, but I don't think there is much difference in the drive to Sumter from Northeast or Shandon. From Northeast Richland, a shortcut would be Screaming Eagle Rd. to 601, which spits you out on 378, but the time difference would be negligible.

[kyahuag]

Thanks for information on the alternate route.....Screaming Eagle Rd.....now we have one less issue to deal with.

[waccamatt]

Originally Posted by kyahuag

Thanks for all your inputs. All of you are more or less consistent in your opinion, helping me once again to zoom into Shandon area. How would you compare Dreher to Spring Valley High school?

I graduated from Spring Valley and it is a very good school, but so is Dreher. I much prefer living in-town and Dreher is in the middle of the Shandon area, one of the nicest in-town neighborhoods. I would choose Dreher and living in that area. I think your children will get just as good an education at Dreher and they are building it new from the ground up right now.